Gina Rinehart

Georgina Hope "Gina" Rinehart (born 9 February 1954) is an Australian mining magnate and heiress of Hancock Prospecting, a privately owned mineral exploration and extraction company of which she is Chairman. Her father, Lang Hancock, was the company's founder. In the 2010s, Rinehart also bought a stake in Australian media organisations, becoming the largest shareholder in Fairfax Media and taking a significant share in Ten Network Holdings.

During 2011, both Forbes Asia and the Business Review Weekly reported that Rinehart had become Australia's wealthiest person, a title that she continues to hold. During 2012, BRW named Rinehart as the world's richest woman, surpassing Christy Walton; however, by 2013 Rinehart was the fourth richest woman in the world; and by 2014, the sixth richest.

Rinehart was born in Perth, Western Australia, the daughter of Hope Margaret Nicholas and Lang Hancock. An only child, Rinehart lived with her parents at Nunyerry, 60 kilometres (37 mi) north of Wittenoom, until she was four, later boarding at St Hilda's Anglican School for Girls in Perth. She briefly studied economics at the University of Sydney, before dropping out and working for her father, gaining an extensive knowledge of the Pilbara iron-ore industry...